Andrei Arlovski vs. Devin Cole to headline World Series of Fighting 1

A heavyweight bout between Andrei Arlovski (17-9) and Devin Cole (20-9-1) will serve as the main event of WSOF 1, officials today announced.

WSOF 1 takes place Nov. 3 at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The event’s main card airs live on NBC Sports Network, formerly known as Versus.

“We are thrilled to welcome both Andrei and Devin to the World Series of Fighting roster and to have them headline our first live event,” World Series of Fighting President Ray Sefo stated.

Arlovski, a former UFC champion who’s also competed for Strikeforce and EliteXC, fights for the first time since a no-contest with Tim Sylvia at ONE FC 5. There, at the Aug. 31 event, the Belarusian tagged Sylvia with an illegal soccer kick, and the fight (the fourth between the two fighters) ended in a no-contest. Prior to the bout, Arlovski ended a four-fight skid with back-to-back knockout wins over Ray Lopez and Travis Fulton.

Cole, meanwhile, fights for the first time in neatly a year. Most recently, he competed for Strikeforce, where he posted back-to-back decision wins over Shawn Jordan and Gabriel Salinas-Jones (which followed a promotional-debut loss to Daniel Cormier). The former IFL fighter and collegiate wrestler was one of the few Strikeforce fighters not folded into the UFC. He nearly got a late-replacement opportunity against Travis Browne at UFC on FOX 4, but he said past legal problems held up a deal despite the fact he said he regularly passes background checks that allow him to work with school children.